Envy and Secrets
by ice-woman
Summary: This is part one of chapter 10 of the novel I have written about Harry's 6th year. If you like it I will submit chapters 1-9 and continue. Feedback please!


Okay, I should explain this fic first. It's part of a LONG story I'm writing, which takes place in Harry's 6th year. This is just one chapter, where things get interesting, but it shouldn't be confusing. If you really like it, I'll begin submitting the whole story. So let me know!

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"Sir? Sir?"

Snape whipped around quickly, his greasy, black hair flying through the air. He furrowed his brow and twisted his lips into a sneer. He walked slowly towards the young student, hatred seething through his blood. "Out with it Potter," he growled.

"What do you mean, 'out with it'," Harry Potter asked incredulously. Snape shot him a threatening look. "_Sir_," he added reluctantly.

"I mean what are you doing here in my office Potter," Snape explained, looking at Harry as though he was truly the dunce Snape always made Harry out to be.

"_Sir_?" Harry questioned. "My detention, tonight, seven thirty, in your office."

"Ah yes," Snape muttered. "Oh course. Your detention. Well, it would do you good to sit Potter. You have a long hour ahead of you."

Without so much as a sigh, Harry plopped down reluctantly at the desk farthest from Snape's desk. He watched Snape as he walked back to his own desk and buried his face in a book. Harry knew better than to put his head down, close his eyes, or even so much as yawn. Even though Snape appeared to be reading, he was certain that if he displayed any outward emotion of being tired or bored, Snape would throw a curse at him faster than he could finish yawning. Everyone hated Snape's detentions. It's not as though Snape made you do anything hard, but sitting in a room, for an hour, with Snape breathing down your neck and watching your every move! It was enough to drive anyone insane.

This is going to be a _long_ hour, Harry thought. He passed the first five minutes of time by gazing around the room, in hope of finding something to peek his interest. But as he was in _Snape's_ office, in a dungeon, surrounded by ugly flasks of purple liquid, there wasn't much to preoccupy Harry. He finally gave up his futile search around the room, deciding to try and fill his time by thinking of much more important things.

Thoughts of quidditch, and classes, and his friends filled up the next ten minutes of the detention. What only took up one sixth of the time Harry had to serve, seemed like an eternity to him. He was deeply downcasted upon gazing up at the clock and realizing he still had forty five minutes to go. He nearly sighed, but caught himself in time, knowing full well that Snape would twist his sigh into a sign of disrespect and possibly give him another fun-filled detention to look forward to.

Harry's mind escaped his power and was brought to a subject Harry preferred not to think about. However, considering the unfortunate circumstances, Harry gave in and allowed himself to debate on what to do about Cho. He was extremely glad that they were talking again, glad they were friends. He was still strongly attracted to her, knowing that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met. He even thought her prettier than Fleur Delacour, the veela he had encountered in his fourth year. Yet, he didn't want to destroy their friendship by trying to turn it into something more. Besides, the only thing that the two had in common was their love for quidditch and the emotional battle they fought to come to terms with Cedric's death. And as Harry obtained an eerie feeling in his stomach whenever he talked about the late Cedric Diggory, he much preferred not to brood on that subject. Plus, Cedric had been Cho's boyfriend, so Harry would have always been driven insane with jealousy, had he and Cho ever decided to date again. Harry assumed it would be for the best to remain strictly _friends_ with the attractive Ravenclaw.

Harry's mind continued to wonder and he nearly gasped when he remembered that the Yule Ball was this Saturday. It was already Tuesday and he didn't have a date! And, he couldn't get out of it, since all students fourth year and up were required to attend it. Harry began thinking really hard about who he could take. He didn't think that asking Parvati Patil would do much good, considering the way he had treated her at the last ball. Although things seemed to be fine between them now, Harry was almost certain that she would turn him down if he asked her. Lavender Brown was indefinitely out of the question. Harry was pretty certain Ron would be asking her, he thought Ron had a bit of a crush on her. Harry ran up and down the list of all the potential dates in his year. There was no one left! Well, there was _someone_. He _could_ ask Cho, and make sure she understood that they were going only as friends. Harry shook his head to that. No, Cho would most likely want to go with someone she could pursue a relationship with. He didn't want to give her false hope. He began thinking of the fifth year Gryffindors he could ask. He knew mostly all of them, since they all seemed to be friends with Ginny...

Harry paused. Ginny! Why didn't he think of her before! Surely he could go with her! There was no doubt that she had become rather attractive as of lately. She had grown taller over the summer and her body was undoubtedly beginning to fill out. She looked rather stunning with her tall slender body and her shining red hair that complimented her skin tone nicely. Her wavy hair had just been cut two inches or so below her shoulders, giving her a more mature, grown-up look. Plus, she was Ron's sister, so Harry already knew her. She was much easier to talk to now that she didn't run and hide every time she saw Harry. Also, she _had_ liked him, which meant that she probably still liked him, at least enough to agree to go to the ball with him. He was certain she wouldn't decline.

Suddenly, Harry's face fell. Ginny was dating Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff! Ernie was certainly going with her then. Harry sighed aloud, forgetting about Snape. Now he would _never_ find a date to the ball. Oh well, he thought. If worse came to worst, he could always just take Hermione.

Harry jumped in his seat as Snape cleared his voice loudly. Harry looked up at the clock. It was time to go! He wondered what on earth had possessed Snape to save him from this torture, but he realized that an hour with him must have also been torture for Snape. This thought brought a small smile across Harry's face.

"Here, Potter," Snape growled, flailing a piece of parchment through the air.

"Sir?" Harry questioned.

"Come _here_, you incompetent boy!" Snape growled and Harry was forced to walk those dreaded steps up to Snape's desk. Harry grabbed the parchment Snape was grasping and read it to himself. _Explain the significance of Moozberries and why they are so valuable._ Huh? Harry hadn't the faintest idea what Moozberries were! He looked up at Snape expectantly. "Your essay," Snape hissed. "Did you really think you would get off the hook _that_ easily? Return it by Friday."

Harry scowled and began to walk out of Snape's office, rereading the unfair assignment from Snape. He would never be able to finish this by Friday! That was only a few days away! Thank God for Hermione, he thought. 

All of a sudden, Harry felt his body impact into something rather hard. The next instant, books flew out at him, and he realized he had run into one of Snape's bookshelves. He could already sense Snape's piercing eyes through the mountain of books on top of him. 

He quickly climbed to his feet and began rearranging the books back onto the bookshelf. "Sorry sir," Harry mumbled as he worked. 

"Clumsy fool," Snape muttered, but Harry turned to see that his long, hooked nose was buried once again inside a book. 

Harry continued placing the books back onto the shelf, but stopped when he came across a pocket-sized black one. He read the title, _Property of Severus Snape_. Harry curiously opened to the first page. _November 22… _Harry shut it quickly and threw it into the pocket of his robes. It was a journal! Snape's journal! Harry grinned. He would have numerous ways to blackmail Snape now! He happily piled the rest of the books onto the shelf and stood up, preparing to exit.

"It's about time you finished, _Potter_," Snape remarked visciously. "It took you long enough. You'd think that being raised by Muggles, you'd be more efficient handling a simple task such as that, but I can see I overestimated you yet again. It's no wonder your family can't stand you." Snape's thin lip curled nastily, daring Harry to challenge him.

Harry felt anger boiling inside of him. How dare Snape bring up his relationship with the Durselys! Snape didn't even know them! He didn't know how he was treated there! He didn't understand what it ws like to feel like a stranger in your own house. He didn't know what it was like to be tormented constantly, and wake up every morning, knowing that you would have to bear another day full of torture. Snape had no business taunting him about his family, he didn't understand!

"I guess you would know a lot about people hating you, wouldn't you Snivellus!" Harry called out bravely. 

Snape glared at Harry loathfully. "Silence, boy! Do not speak of what you don't understand!"

"I should say the same to you about the Durselys!" Harry yelled. "Though I don't know the full story, I _do_ know that my father hurt your feelings!"

"He did nothing of this sort!" Snape insisted, his voice raised. "Your father had no power over me, no power to hurt me! He was weak!"

"It must have been my mother then!" Harry yelled. "She didn't hate you, Snivelly! She pitied you! She felt sorry for you! People didn't fear you! They didn't hate you! They looked down on you! They still do! _I_ don't hate you. _I_ don't resent you! I feel sorry for you! I PITY _YOU_! I…"

"Get out!" Snape barked, his voice barely above a whisper now. "Get out and never speak to me again."

"Fine by me!" Harry shouted, rage his pulsating through his veins. "But remember that this whole mess is _your_ fault! I never did anything to you! You hated me and held a grudge against me for something my father did to you! All of this…this is your fault! I did nothing to you!"

With that said, Harry stormed out of the dungeon, not stopping until he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Morphemalus," he muttered as the Fat Lady yawned and opened lazily. She mumbled something Harry couldn't make out as she swung open, but Harry was too tired and angry to care. She raced inside the Gryffindor common room, his anger clearly displayed upon his face.

"Hey Harry!" Ron called, rushing over to him. "You all right?"

Harry nodded.

"You sure?" Ron persisted.

"Detention with Snape," Harry said, explaining the whole fiasco in three words. 

Ron nodded. "That ugly git," he remarked. "He's a jerk."

Harry nodded in agreement and turned towards the fireplace where Hermione was comforting a sobbing Ginny.

"What happened to her?" Harry asked, concerned.

Now Ron's was the face with anger written all over it. "Ernie Macmillan broke up with her. Stupid, sleezly, slimeball! I swear, I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna rip his eyes from their sockets and…"

"Ron! Quiet!" Hermione hissed. "You're not helping matters."

"He just…he…he…was so nice about it t…t…though," Ginny wailed. "But he…he…was…w…w…was seeing Pa…Pa…Padma P…P…Patil and h…he wanted to go to the…the ball with…with her!"

"Aw, now, now Ginny," Hermione soothed, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Did you _really_ like him that much? I mean, you two were only going out a week!"

"No, I didn't like him _much_ yet, but that's not the point!" Ginny screamed.

"What's the point then?" Ron asked dumbly.

Ginny glared at him. "The point is that _he_ dumped _me_ before the ball, and now I have no one to go with! I'll look like a loser! I'll be the talk of the school! Poor, stupid Ginny Weasley was dumped before the ball and was too lame to find anyone to go with her!"

"Oh, honestly Ginny!" Hermione screeched. "You'll be fine. You'll go to the ball and you'll have fun, you'll see."

"Oh no I won't!" Ginny insisted. "Everyone will laugh at me!"

"They will not!" Hermione continued. "And…:

"Oh, but they will and…"

"Ginny," Harry began, walking towards her. Ginny looked at him in shock, as if just now realizing he was in the room. She quickly rubbed her eyes and stood up, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Y…yes?" she asked.

"If it'll make you feel better, you can go to the ball with me," Harry offered.

Ginny shook her head fiercly. "You're just saying that because you feel sorry for me."

"No I'm not," Harry insisted. "I was going to ask you actually, because, well I don't have a date, and you know, you're a friend and all and er…yeah, but I knew you were probably going with er…Ernie."

"Really?" Ginny asked.

"Er…really what?" Harry questioned.

"You really want to go with me?"

"Er…yeah," Harry said.

Ginny grinned. "But wait…what about Cho?"

"Cho?" Harry questioned. "We're just friends."

"So you didn't ask her?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head. "No."

Ginny nodded. "All right then, Harry, I'll go with you." She smiled, then ran up to Harry, hugging him tightly. She then planted a small kiss on his cheek and without another word, rushed upstairs. Hermione looked at Harry strangely, but didn't say anything. She thought for a moment that maybe Harry had feelings for Ginny, but shrugged it off, assuming he just felt bad for the girl. Hermione then turned and she too headed upstairs to the girls' dormitory.

"…stupid, ugly creep! What kind of name is that anyway. _Ernie_! How geeky!"

Harry laughed as he pushed Ron upstairs to their room, Ron still muttering about Ernie.

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Harry stretched out on the grass lazily, watching as the students in the younger grades at Hogwarts scurried past him. He saw a blonde haired boy, who he could have sworn was named Jerry Roughlets, cast a spell upon one of his friends, turning her finger into a cat's tail. Harry laughed heartily, and continued to watch with interest the activities of the other students.

Ron and Hermione had left a few minutes earlier to go t a Prefect meeting, leaving Harry alone to fend for himself. Neville had offered to play quidditch with Harry, but Harry, knowing full well how much more clumsy Neville was on broomstick, declined, thanking him anyway.

Harry sat up reluctantly, figuring he should head back inside. He still had that essay to work on for Snape. He was just lucky that classes had been cancelled from today until Friday in preparation for the ball. Of course, that also meant the teachers had piled homework for them to do in their free time. Groaning, Haryy climbed to his feet and forced himself to go back inside the castle.

Harry trudged slowly through the corridors, not really wanting to go back to the Gryffindor common room. It was such a nice day out and he fancied being outside. However, that little voice inside him, which sounded an awful lot like Hermione, was scolding him and telling him to start on his homework, or at least, Snape's essay.

"Hey Harry! Harry!"

Harry spun around at the call of his name and was now face to face with none other than Cho Chang. "Hey," he said, grinning.

"Why aren't you outside?" she asked. "I figured that you of all people would be getting in an extra quidditch practice."

Harry shook his head. "Not until tomorrow , actually. Ron had a prefect meeting, so I figured tomorow would be the best day to practice. Plus, I have about a mountain of homework to start."

"Couldn't you do that over the weekend?" Cho asked, knowing full well that Harry was a procrastinator whenever it came to homework.

"Yeah, but, well, Snape decided to be a jerk and give me detention," Harry explained. "For something I didn't do, mind you. Then he gave me an essay to write, that's due Friday."

Cho shot him a sympathetic smile. "He's simply horrible. He only likes Slytherins, so don't take it personally."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I know." But he did take it personally, because he knew Snape always singled him out. "So why aren't you out practicing?"

Cho shrugged. "Just didn't feel like it. There's too many students out there anyway. Maybe tomorrow you guys can scrimmage against us. It will help us both practice. We have a game against Hufflepuff on Sunday."

"Yep, and we're against the Slytherins next Saturday," Harry replied.

"Cheaters," Cho muttered angrily. She was remembering the way Marcus Flint had rammed into her during the game, knocking her off her broom, and allowing Slytherin to catch the snitch. They were penalized and the game, it was decided, would be rematched in two weeks. Cho flipped her long, silky black hair behind her shoulder, as if shrugging off the fact that the Slytherins were cheaters. It was after all, common knowledge. "So Harry, are you going to the ball?"

"Well, er..yeah, you?" he asked, knowing full well that they both had to go, but that both were interested in who the other was going with.

Cho nodded. "Um...Brenden Zharg asked me. You know who he is, right? Captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team."

Harry nodded. He knew who he was, indeed. Brenden was extremely tall for his age, and rather good looking, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Even Hermione admitted that he was 'quite attractive'. However, Harry also knew that Brenden had a reputation for being a heartbreaker. He didn't want Cho to get hurt by this creep.

"Oh, yes, I know him," Harry said. "Tough competitor. Look Cho...I've heard some things about him and well...I don't know if they're true or anything, but er...just be careful, okay?"

Cho smiled. "I will, Harry, I promise. And...er...who are you going with?"

"Oh, um...Ginny Weasley," Harry stated. "Ernie Macmillan dumped her last minute, and she was really upset. I told her I'd take her if she'd like and she agreed."

Cho nodded coyly. Was it Harry's imagination, or did he sense a hint of jealousy in her eyes? There was no doubt Harry felt a twinge of jealousy towards Brenden Zharg, but he kept it hidden pretty well.

"Um, well, I guess I'll see you around Harry," Cho said. "I have to find Professor Flitwick. I missed Charms yesterday and need to find out what we did."

"Oh, okay," Harry said. "Tomorrow at nine all right?"

Cho looked at him strangely. "What?"

"For the scrimmage," Harry said, feeling like an idiot for not explaining himself further. "Your team against mine."

"Oh, right," Cho grinned, feeling rather stupid. "Sure, nine 'o clock is perfect."

"Great," Harry called, watching her disappear down the corridor and into Professor Flitwick's office.

TBC...feedback is appreciated.


End file.
